Legal Definitions - vejour

Vejour

A "vejour" is a historical legal term referring to an individual appointed by a court to conduct an on-site inspection or investigation. This person's role was typically to gather firsthand information to assist the court in making a decision. This could involve examining a specific location relevant to a dispute or verifying the legitimacy of a person's claim of illness preventing their court appearance.

Examples:

• Imagine a medieval land dispute where two lords claim ownership of a specific meadow. The court, unable to resolve the matter solely based on documents or witness testimony, might appoint a vejour. This individual would travel to the disputed meadow, observe its boundaries, note any existing markers, and report back to the court on the physical realities of the land. This direct observation would provide crucial, impartial evidence to help the court determine the rightful owner.

• Consider a historical court case where a key witness fails to appear, sending word that they are gravely ill and confined to bed. To prevent delays caused by false claims, the court could dispatch a vejour. This vejour would visit the witness's home, assess their condition firsthand, and report back to the court whether the illness was genuine and severe enough to prevent attendance, or if the witness was merely feigning sickness to avoid testifying.